The Triumph of the Promise: Postexilic Tirnes

Priest-King was th theme ofPsalm llo, only there he was a conquering dominion eas hele in Ze.hariah 6 he is enthrond in Peaceful

ii 820-23.

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herd became the Martyr-Shepherd (Zec l3:7

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sheep who had rejected his

But iD another section (Zec 12:10 - 13: l), the people would mourn for the On they had pierced as one mourned for his onlyson. The shepherd was not personally deserving ofthis suffering, but he suffered on behalfofthe sios ofhis people. But the Spirit would be poured out on the people in that day, along with the divine Spilit ofgrace and supplication, wirh true penitence ofheart and genuine sorrow for rejection ofthe Messiah. And as Ezekiel haipredicted that the SPirit ofGod would give the knowledge ofYahweh and ofthe Savior, so that same spirit would open conviction af,d repentance in the hearts oflsrael.

of Humility and RiShteousness iah began the first ofhis two burden messages,ie Predicted-we

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would come toknowbythe trame of Alexander the Great

ethemewas alreadyset: a.iudgment was coming

thetictorious (zec in which Godwoulddestroy

;H11i'#:'Jl:l#l#'-::llT""iffi:H:l;lfl:,:ffi:ff::'.'.'#;i5:l0i l0:4;(9:7; aracter was "righteous," the same description used by lsaiah as one characterized 'salvation" was therefore and re had also brought "gnll"l, H,was to otheG God of :outthe grace ofa king (lKi ,l ofone iho was being invested with the rule and reign be victorious over was also to srael's new king. He was meelc and yet he rign in h rvould (Zec yet and 9rl0d), ilestroy the inplements ofwar Isaiah 9:l that of identical with was latter (v. The lOb). Picture hole earth from the rd Mi(ah 5r2 - 5. "His rule will exlend from sea to sea and

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alli Peace 7; [EuPhratotheendsoftheearth,,aspsarmT2:8hadprocraimed(crzece:rour :r:'":,1"'1,.t;ili;:ili;.ii."l'iililti"T;1fi'::ffi:lT:l[?:i'il; :n after Israel had been restored to her land afte! the Babylonian exile' the day onward (v 20fl) as the wealth of the nations would be gathered in worship of I )fa regathered, reuDified nation still apPeared in zechariah 10:9-12' The the present King, the promised Seed- ofthe woman Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, e ts should notbe lost by :e oftiis passage and its late postexili date of5l8 Bc and David (v. l4fi). seventeen times in this second'burden" message ofZecha-I = blessing, which as a temPoral or interpret the piomise ofthe land spiritually fiah 12 - 14, zechai^hhad ploclaimed,'ln that day";and twenty-two iimes he had c-.1 -. forfeited by a 15| to this alternate interpretation declared that the land had been e= pointed to..Jerusalem- and thirteen times to the "nations.'These statistics alone can nationduetoherfailuretokeePherPaofwhattheyhavelabeledacondi-I-"correctlyidentifythetime,themes,andparticipantsstressedinthesechapters:it I labilateral covenant This text argues against thatview The hoPe ofa return and now-Rurins Kins returned the

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rhatFina,DayofvictoryOne decisive battle remained yet tobe fought by Yahweh. ln thal day, he would bring the nations ofthe earth together as they attempted to deal decisively and conclusively with the "lewish question- (zec l4:t - 2). But that was the very day selected by the Lord ofHosts in which he woutd go forth and fight against those nations (\'.3). with simultaneous great convulsions in nature, the Lord ofGlorywill descend with clouds ofheaven (Da 7:13), along with all his saints (zec.l4:5), ard plant his feet on the Mount of Olives (w 4-5). Then history and the fir$ aspect oithe grand plan of codt salvific promise would be wrapped up in the most decisive triumph ever wirnecse.l on nlaner earrh. t. .f* ..rfa *-rl" victor over all oeooles. nat

that had been promised to th patriarchs now \trrned brighter, despite srael had become more and more

the ofsilnamed th and disrupted rt this brother-kingdom wielded in God's name was snapped Lord was often dismissed flom this nation - indeed, at times even by his they :presentative. Then, as a reward, or even as their estimate ofhis service, Shepthe silver! Thus of (Ex thirty 2l:32)r paid for a slave Pices rit th. sumbut had evil rulers (shepherds) who had taken advarrtage of their flock, pieces for thirty and sold pherd was at ffrst accePted and then r.iected l:7 - l4). As long as he ruled them in the past, he had used two staves and "union' (io'am, h6blim); but when these two staves were broken'

tten

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Tff n BOOX OF MALACHI

It is often debated whether the name Malachi, meaning "my messenger," is a name or a title. While slightly more favorable evidence points to the fact that it was his name, it is more important to note that Malachi ministered some time after the exile, for already the service to God had become perfunctory and lacked real integrity. However, siDce he makes no reference to Ezra or Nehemiah in his book, his writing should probably